Jul 20, 2019, 3:27 am
Last edit by: corporate-wage-slave
Quick answers to FAQ:
Help! What do I do now?
Most importantly, don't panic and don't do anything in haste. Read these FAQ. Read the thread, particularly the posts starting from the time that the strike dates were announced. Identify your options. Think about what works for you. Then take action. If you do anything in haste, you may have thrown away good options, or you may have thrown away money that you needn't have spent.
NOTE: Some emails have been sent out by mistake notifying the cancellation of flights on 8 September and other dates. If your booking still looks OK in MMB then you don't need to take further action. A cancelled flight should be shown in MMB with struck-through text. If your flight details are not struck through, then it probably hasn't actually been cancelled. You could check ba.com to see whether BA is still taking reservations for the flight in question. If so, then the flight has not been cancelled. You may also try checking on ExpertFlyer, if you have access, to see whether your flight appears still to be operating and whether BA is still taking reservations. However, some afternoon/evening flights on 8 September have genuinely been cancelled. See main thread for details.
Has a strike been called yet?
Yes. BALPA, the pilots' union, has voted in favour of strike action, and the Court of Appeal has rejected BA's submission to have the poll set aside, so the legal process is now over. The two parties went back into talks after the legal proceedings and those talks were expected to continue into the week of 5 August.
BALPA on 23 Aug announced strikes on Monday 9 September Tuesday 10 September and Friday 27 September.
Any further strikes normally require 2 weeks notice under UK legislation.
What flights may be affected?
LHR and LGW based flights. Not LCY or STN flights. Both cabin and flight crew are in dispute with BA, but the pilots (captains, senior first officers, first officers) are closest to strike action.
How long would a strike last?
The initial strikes are for two days the a single day, with normal working in between. Any other strikes could be of any length. It would be rare in the UK for there to be a full time strike.
What would happen to my flights if it is a strike day?
A range of options have been announced, see post 1551 below for more information: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...l#post31451055
and BA Trade Site guidance here: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...kba?faqid=7594
Rebooking is now allowed on Iberia, AA, Finnair, JAL and Qatar. Within Europe EI and Vueling are also allowed. This is for both revenue and redemption flights.
and the FAQ on BA.com here (this includes information on BA Holidays bookings which are substantially different): https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...st-information
Can I do anything with an existing booking now?
Yes. Your options are different depending on whether your flights are currently showing as cancelled or not. See the links above.
What about Heathrow staff - aren't their strikes planned there too?
Yes there is a separate dispute at the moment between Heathrow Airport (HAL) and their staff such as those who operate the security checkpoints. See the separate thread on the issue.
Am I protected by EC261 if there is a problem?
You are always covered by the Right to Care provisions of Regulation EC261. You could potentially be able to claim compensation for delays, cancellations and downgrades caused by BA staff action too, but not for HAL strikes (for cancellations only if there is flight is less than 14 day’s notice). See the main EC261 thread in the BA Forum Dashboard.
Help! What do I do now?
Most importantly, don't panic and don't do anything in haste. Read these FAQ. Read the thread, particularly the posts starting from the time that the strike dates were announced. Identify your options. Think about what works for you. Then take action. If you do anything in haste, you may have thrown away good options, or you may have thrown away money that you needn't have spent.
NOTE: Some emails have been sent out by mistake notifying the cancellation of flights on 8 September and other dates. If your booking still looks OK in MMB then you don't need to take further action. A cancelled flight should be shown in MMB with struck-through text. If your flight details are not struck through, then it probably hasn't actually been cancelled. You could check ba.com to see whether BA is still taking reservations for the flight in question. If so, then the flight has not been cancelled. You may also try checking on ExpertFlyer, if you have access, to see whether your flight appears still to be operating and whether BA is still taking reservations. However, some afternoon/evening flights on 8 September have genuinely been cancelled. See main thread for details.
Has a strike been called yet?
Yes. BALPA, the pilots' union, has voted in favour of strike action, and the Court of Appeal has rejected BA's submission to have the poll set aside, so the legal process is now over. The two parties went back into talks after the legal proceedings and those talks were expected to continue into the week of 5 August.
BALPA on 23 Aug announced strikes on Monday 9 September Tuesday 10 September and Friday 27 September.
Any further strikes normally require 2 weeks notice under UK legislation.
What flights may be affected?
LHR and LGW based flights. Not LCY or STN flights. Both cabin and flight crew are in dispute with BA, but the pilots (captains, senior first officers, first officers) are closest to strike action.
How long would a strike last?
The initial strikes are for two days the a single day, with normal working in between. Any other strikes could be of any length. It would be rare in the UK for there to be a full time strike.
What would happen to my flights if it is a strike day?
A range of options have been announced, see post 1551 below for more information: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...l#post31451055
and BA Trade Site guidance here: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...kba?faqid=7594
Rebooking is now allowed on Iberia, AA, Finnair, JAL and Qatar. Within Europe EI and Vueling are also allowed. This is for both revenue and redemption flights.
and the FAQ on BA.com here (this includes information on BA Holidays bookings which are substantially different): https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...st-information
Can I do anything with an existing booking now?
Yes. Your options are different depending on whether your flights are currently showing as cancelled or not. See the links above.
What about Heathrow staff - aren't their strikes planned there too?
Yes there is a separate dispute at the moment between Heathrow Airport (HAL) and their staff such as those who operate the security checkpoints. See the separate thread on the issue.
Am I protected by EC261 if there is a problem?
You are always covered by the Right to Care provisions of Regulation EC261. You could potentially be able to claim compensation for delays, cancellations and downgrades caused by BA staff action too, but not for HAL strikes (for cancellations only if there is flight is less than 14 day’s notice). See the main EC261 thread in the BA Forum Dashboard.
LHR/LGW pilots (BALPA) industrial action 9 Sep, 10 Sep, and 27 Sep
Jul 17, 2019, 9:00 am
#361
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NT Australia
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 4,160
(look up for the image of policy text)
I think "The Independent" might qualify as mass media announcement
This is not very useful - you're supposed to take rumours and initial union threat of action into account? You'd never fly to or via French airspace between March and October if you did that! Or take the Tube half the time.
Unfortunately the terms are as written; an ombudsman might find that preliminary reporting of industrial unrest was not concrete enough to take action but one would be taking a chance. A ballot for strike action might be more concrete evidence of "potential existence". I can only suggest finding a less evasive insurer in future or very quickly now, as soon as actual dates are announced you're outside most any insurance cover.
I think "The Independent" might qualify as mass media announcement
This is not very useful - you're supposed to take rumours and initial union threat of action into account? You'd never fly to or via French airspace between March and October if you did that! Or take the Tube half the time.
Unfortunately the terms are as written; an ombudsman might find that preliminary reporting of industrial unrest was not concrete enough to take action but one would be taking a chance. A ballot for strike action might be more concrete evidence of "potential existence". I can only suggest finding a less evasive insurer in future or very quickly now, as soon as actual dates are announced you're outside most any insurance cover.
no but my point is- there has been zero coverage in the Australian media, this is an Australian travel insurance policy. Does mass media require me to monitor British (and indeed Spanish, South African, and various others on this trip) media for coverage of potential travel disruptions? Answers on a postcard please 😉
Jul 17, 2019, 9:51 am
#362
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Somewhere in the Air
Programs: BA GGL, *A Silver, OW Emerald, HH Diamond, Karahi Express
Posts: 554
(Sort of on topic)
no but my point is- there has been zero coverage in the Australian media, this is an Australian travel insurance policy. Does mass media require me to monitor British (and indeed Spanish, South African, and various others on this trip) media for coverage of potential travel disruptions? Answers on a postcard please 😉
Jul 17, 2019, 10:02 am
#363
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,109
(Sort of on topic)
no but my point is- there has been zero coverage in the Australian media, this is an Australian travel insurance policy. Does mass media require me to monitor British (and indeed Spanish, South African, and various others on this trip) media for coverage of potential travel disruptions? Answers on a postcard please 😉
no but my point is- there has been zero coverage in the Australian media, this is an Australian travel insurance policy. Does mass media require me to monitor British (and indeed Spanish, South African, and various others on this trip) media for coverage of potential travel disruptions? Answers on a postcard please 😉
"It wasn't in the Aussie papers, I didn't have a clue until I was stuck in Heathrow sleeping on the pavement." is a strong argument for the policy to pay out.
Jul 17, 2019, 11:08 am
#364
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Somewhere in the Air
Programs: BA GGL, *A Silver, OW Emerald, HH Diamond, Karahi Express
Posts: 554
Thank god we still have pavements. 😊
Jul 17, 2019, 11:59 am
#365
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Middle Earth, and often worse
Programs: BAEC Silver, A3 Gold
Posts: 2,217
I'll bet the fellows were also happy to have pavement instead of mud, but would have preferred a bed in a heated room.
Jul 18, 2019, 12:14 pm
#367
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,191
Jul 19, 2019, 1:54 pm
#371
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: London
Programs: Mucci Blue, BAEC Gold, Blockbuster Video card
Posts: 1,378
I think a wiki on this would be a great idea. I'm currently waiting on the result before booking a return for the family to BCN but wondering if I'm better off just going with EZY etc. I don't think I've missed anything substantive on this thread to inform me one way or another yet but the thread's definitely getting longer....
Jul 19, 2019, 3:48 pm
#372
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: living near Malaga
Programs: BA Gold , Mucci recipient. Coffee Drinker, Blue Sky Thinker
Posts: 2,111
Lets hope it dont come to that...
Jul 19, 2019, 3:51 pm
#373
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
It could be a while longer yet to hear about strikes. Just because the announcement is due next week it does not mean that the union will steam in with possible strike dates right off the bat. They could take the opportunity for a little extra pressure before giving their mandatory notice period.
Lets hope it dont come to that...
Lets hope it dont come to that...
Jul 19, 2019, 7:32 pm
#374
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Northern England
Posts: 1,531